The "thorn"

2 Corinthians 12:1-10 could quite possibly one of the most cited passages in all of scripture, at least in my life it is. In this passage, Paul is continuing his defense of his apostleship, ministry, and character to a church that he poured his blood, sweat and tears into, yet they bucked against his rebukes in his earlier letters and started attacking him. We discover in this passage how fourteen years before the letter was written he was taken up to see to the third heaven/paradise and was able to hear things that we could never even fathom. Because of how awesome it was to be given that experience, God knew Paul risked becoming prideful and therefore sent something to come upon him that caused him frequent pain and suffering. In the Greek, the word "thorn" actually means stake, and I love the way one commentator put it when he said, think of a stake being driven into and killing your flesh...ah I love that raw image that comes with that description. Even though Paul cried out to God to have Him remove that stake, God continually responded that Paul should find all satisfaction in the fact that God is using this thing for a purpose: for His glory. It was sent to Paul, not merely as something that God went, "Oh no! Well, might as well make the most of it". No, God sent this to Paul with the specific purpose of making him and and keeping him humble. And after Paul is told this, he didn't just tolerate or endure the suffering but rejoiced in it knowing that its end result would be him being refined and molded more into the image of Jesus.

God is so good to know us even better than we know ourselves. He can see into the darkest places of our hearts and see those sins that we tell no one about and we even try to forget about ourselves. I think of how in my own life one of those sins definitely is that nasty, hideous, revolting sin of pride. It's sobering to think that in those times when you truly consider yourself humble are the very times you are the exact opposite. For me, my "thorn" would be the physical one dealing with all the "disabilities" I have. Whenever a spiritual high happens and I begin to puff myself up, no joke, it's like "WHAM!" I'm taken out of commission for sometimes weeks at a time because my knee is in so much pain or someone comments about how I limp. There are few things more humbling then overhearing a little kid asking their mom "What's wrong with her leg?!" or some group of guys as you walk by making jokes about how you're "crippled". I'm not sharing this for sympathy or throwing a pitty party but for the exact opposite reason because after studying this passage, I'm reminded of so many huge lessons that I need to hold onto. I'm so glad God knows me and loves me enough to send me a "stake for my flesh" to keep me on my knees and it seems like every time I try to stand up and walk on my own and full of myself, he just sends me right back to my knees again and once again I'm reminded, "My grace is sufficient for you".